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Jailbreaking your iPhone so you can tether your phone for free? AT&T may have a surprise for you in the coming days. According to a 9to5Mac tipster, the company has been issuing threats to its customers who have jailbroken their devices to take advantage of free tethering on the network.
An AT&T representative has confirmed that the company has begun sending out letters, emails, and text messages to smartphone users who have been “unfairly” tethering their phones without paying the corporation for the right to do so, despite having access to unlimited data plans.
Customers have three options according to AT&T:
- Stop tethering and keep their current plan (including grandfathered unlimited plan)
- Proactively call AT&T or visit our stores and move to the required tethering plan
- Do nothing and we’ll go ahead and add the tethering plan on their behalf — after the date noted in their customer notification
It’s the principle that really boils my blood. Carriers were quick to offer unlimited plans to entice user conversions at the point of sale, but now they feel the need to back track because there are dollars to be made in tethering.
AT&T is looking to find a way to charge customers twice for the privilege of using data plans, despite some customers still carrying unlimited data plans. Have a data plan and want to use it in a way that AT&T doesn’t support, despite having paid in-full for the data? Well, pay AT&T again, or else they’re going to illegally change your plan for you, unilaterally, without your permission.
That’s exactly how the options from AT&T reads. Depsite a customer legitimately paying for an unlimited plan when they were available, AT&T thinks they have the right to badger customers, and bend them to their will when they see fit.
Look on the bright side. You may be able to argue breach of contract and get out of your AT&T contract altogether if they pull that kind of stunt.
Need another case in point? AT&T will also begin to throttle data speeds for customers with unlimited data plans. AT&T says it’s so they can provide “fair” speeds for all their customers. We say it’s because that want the customers to pay the Pied Piper a second time.
Thankfully my carrier in Canada has been doing it right, providing customers with a certain level of data plan with free tethering. If Rogers would pull the same stunts that AT&T does up here in Canuckistan, they would lose this customer faster than they could get a customer support representative on the phone.
If faced with this kind of unethical behaviour up here, I’d give up my cell phone entirely, and recommend that most do the same. Think about it for a second. Do you really need that cellphone? I probably don’t.
Johnny Cash finger to AT&T indeed.
Via: Business Insider


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Cisco announced this week that it would appeal a months-old European Union (EU) approval of Microsoft's $8.5 billion purchase of Skype. The firm isn't trying to overturn the deal but is rather asking EU antitrust regulators to place conditions on the purchase that would require Microsoft to make Skype interoperable with other video communications systems.
"We did not take this action lightly," Cisco Senior Vice President Marthin De Beer wrote in a blog post explaining the action. "We respect the European Commission and value Microsoft as a customer, supplier, partner, and competitor ... [But] imagine how difficult it would be if you were limited to calling people who only use the same carrier or if your phone could only call certain brands and not others. Cisco wants to avoid this future for video communications."
De Beer says that video communications should be as easy as email is today, where users from disparate email services can seamlessly communicate with one another. But it's not generally possible to make video calls from one platform to another, De Beer notes, which is frustrating for both consumers and business users.
There are, of course, antitrust overtones to the challenge.
"Microsoft's plans to integrate Skype exclusively with its Lync Enterprise Communications Platform could lock in businesses who want to reach Skype's 700 million account holders to a Microsoft-only platform," De Beer writes.
Microsoft says that regulators at the European Commission (EC) thoroughly reviewed the impact its purchase of Skype would have on competition and cleared the deal. "We're confident the Commission's decision will stand up on appeal," a Microsoft spokesperson said.


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Tesco has beaten City expectations and toasted a victory over its ‘big four’ rivals following its best Christmas performance since 2009.
Britain's biggest retailer recorded a 0.7pc rise in UK like-for-like sales over the 13 weeks to Nov 24.
The supermarket’s growth accelerated over the festive period with like-for-like sales up 2.2pc over the six weeks to 5 January, marking its fourth consecutive year of growth.
Dave Lewis, Tesco chief executive, said that the supermarket had a “successful Christmas” after it had "achieved a lot in the last 19 weeks".
"In the UK we delivered significant improvements in our competitive offer and this is reflected in a very strong Christmas performance which was ahead of the market," the Tesco boss said.
Tesco said that although it had seen initial disruption when introducing its new “Exclusively at Tesco” range of cheaper groceries, which was launched in the Autumn to directly tackle the threat posed by Aldi and Lidl, sales volumes were outperforming the market by the end of the third quarter.
Mr Lewis highlighted that an extra 125,000 customers visited Tesco over Christmas, according to recent Kantar figures, which he said reflected that customers were "switching from everyone".
Online like-for-like sales rose by 2.6pc over the Christmas period, reflecting its biggest online sales week with nearly 51m items delivered and 776,000 orders.
Investors welcomed the results, sending shares up 1.6pc to 215p in morning trade.
Tesco's results overshadow those of its listed rivals after Sainsbury’s posted a 1.1pc slip in like-for-like sales over the festive period on the back of weaker sales at Argos.
Morrisons reported a 3.6pc rise in like-for-like sales, helped by its wholesale division, but its retail sales were just 0.6pc higher.
“Tesco is still facing fierce competition from discount brands Aldi and Lidl, but these results show they are holding onto their crown as the king of supermarkets,” said Martin Lane of money.co.uk.
Both Sainsbury's and Morrisons bosses warned that consumers had become more cautious about their budgets. However, Mr Lewis said there had not been a significant shift and that customers were “behaving as they have always done - they are savvy”.
"For sure it’s challenging but we have not seen a big change in how the customer is shopping within Tesco,” said Mr Lewis.
The Tesco boss added that the business had still seen growth in its premium “Finest” range as well as the popularity of its cut-price “Festive 5” vegetable offers.
Unlike most fashion retailers that have been battered by falling sales, Tesco’s clothing sales rose by 3.8pc over the quarter, suggesting the supermarket’s lower prices were attracting shoppers from traditional high street shops.
Like-for-like sales at Booker - the grocery wholesaler bought by Tesco last year - soared by 11pc, with Booker lines now available in 70 Tesco stores and supplying the vast majority of Tesco’s One Stop convenience chain.
Analysts at GlobalData said that while "all appears rosy at the UK's largest retailer", the market had to wait to see the impact of discounting on profit margins ahead of a challenging 2019.
"Although Tesco displayed equal initiative with the acquisition of Booker and the unveiling of discount format Jack’s in 2018, bolder, more decisive actions are needed in 2019 to keep pace with the rate of change of the food market," said Thomas Brereton, retail analyst at GlobalData.


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Surfers are still plying the waves in the Rockaways nearly a year after Hurricane Sandy. But one of their favorite stores, the Breezy Point Surf Shop, is struggling to avoid a wipeout.
Almost a year ago, Hurricane Sandy destroyed the store. Owner Donald Ritter watched the storm wash away $80,000 worth of merchandise and his life savings. He did not have any flood insurance.
Breezy Point had extensive storm damage and endured a large fire that destroyed more than 100 houses. The neighborhood is located on the tip of the western end of the Rockaway Peninsula. Its location is one of the primary reasons that the area is lagging in recovery.
“It’s a self-contained community. It was built as a summer community and never was prepared to deal with this type of devastation,” said John Lepore, president of the Rockaway Chamber of Commerce. “That works against them when you’re trying to bring in heavy equipment to fix the area.”
The lack of preparedness for Hurricane Sandy is part of the reason many small businesses in Breezy Point have yet to come back.
Citywide, Hurricane Sandy affected nearly 23,000 businesses, according to the city Department of Small Business Services.
The storm knocked Ritter out of business for eight months. He reopened in a temporary trailer less than 100 yards from his store. He said the storm ruined everything inside the shop.
“I had paddle boards that were broken. They’re $800 to $1,000 a piece,” Ritter said. “I had $6,800 wholesale of sunglasses that were submerged … even water shoes got moldy right away. They’re made for the ocean.”
Ritter’s store is emblematic of the problems occurring in Breezy Point. Walking around it’s impossible not to see the empty storefronts, smudges on the windows and gutted floors of closed businesses.
The Bay House and Sugar Bowl, both staple bars in Breezy Point, also opened up this summer in temporary locations. Yet, the vibe is not the same. It’s much quieter than usual in Breezy.
More than 20 percent of businesses in the area are closed or have not made a full comeback, said Steven Greenberg, the former president of the Breezy Point Co-op. Although the percentage is high, the Federal Emergency Management Agency states that in most cases 43 percent of businesses impacted by a disaster do not reopen.
Ritter said he experienced a 6 to 10 percent growth in sales each year from 2005 to 2010. He had hoped to open up sooner. However, his lack of profitability in 2011 due to Hurricane Irene was the reason he was unable to qualify for any federal loans or grants.
“There was a small business loan that I inquired about, but I did not qualify. It was a $25,000 loan with a $10,000 grant which I would have loved,” Ritter said. “I wasn’t profitable enough so I didn’t get it.”
There are numerous federal grant programs to help small businesses get back on track, according to Meredith Weber, a spokesperson for the city Department of Small Business Services.
“We still have loan and grant money,” Weber said. “There are occasions where some small businesses just won’t qualify.”
In order to reopen, Ritter had to take out a private bank loan. He said it costs about $48,000. That doesn’t include the $30,000 in purchased merchandise.
His sales were down 90 percent in May and he projects they will be down 65 to 70 percent for the entire summer.
“I do probably 70 percent of my business in the summer,” Ritter said.
There were 2,837 single-family homes before Hurricane Sandy. Today, Greenberg estimates that there are around 900.
However, Ritter is getting a break. In the past, he was given 30 days to pay back clothing manufacturers such as Oakley and Rip Curl. Now, these companies are giving him between two and four months to pay.
Ritter has dealt with hard times before. Less than a decade ago, his partner embezzled money from their food business. Ritter lost his home and life savings.
“I was extremely depressed,“ Ritter said. “Thank God my surf shop was a separate entity, otherwise I would have lost that too.”
The Breezy Point Surf Shop is his only source of income, he says. His wife works as a speech pathologist, but Ritter says he needs to sell more merchandise in order to provide for his spouse and newborn child.
“I have to make this work. I’ve invested too many years,” he said. “People have said leave and start somewhere else. I have 22 years invested in this business. But for me to walk away with nothing, I would be a fool.”
Ritter works seven days a week. He acknowledges that the shop has an uphill battle to return to the sale numbers of previous years, but he doesn’t think that’s out of the question.
“Did I lose what took years to save? Yeah,” Ritter asked. “But I’m going to get it back better than it was.”


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The city will attempt to crack down on masked criminals by urging stores to require customers to remove their masks when they first walk in, Mayor Eric Adams said this week.
Shop and bodega owners should “not allow people to enter the store without taking off their face mask,” Adams said in an interview Monday, maintaining the measure would deter shoplifting and “serious crimes” alike.
Customers would still be allowed to mask up inside — but not until surveillance cameras recorded their faces, the mayor said.
What You Need To Know
- The city will attempt to crack down on masked criminals by urging stores to require customers to remove their masks when they first walk in, Mayor Eric Adams says
- Customers would still be allowed to mask up inside — but not until surveillance cameras recorded their faces, the mayor said
- Adams said the city has partnered with a bodega association to create signs asking customers to briefly remove their masks
“We got so used to masks that we don’t realize there’s a large volume of people that are wearing it not because of COVID, but because they’re criminals,” he said at a news conference Tuesday. “Not having the video surveillance, we’re allowing the repeated offenders to continue until we catch them.”
The city has partnered with a bodega association to create signs asking customers to briefly remove their masks, Adams said.
At a Monday press conference held outside an Upper East Side deli where an employee was fatally shot during a robbery last week, United Bodegas of America representative Fernando Mateo called the policy “crucial to our city.”
The still-at-large gunman who fatally shot the 67-year-old employee was wearing a mask during the robbery, the NYPD said.
“These criminals have gotten so comfortable, so comfortable, that they’re doing it repeatedly and things get out of hand, and people are killed,” Mateo said. “This is an all-out effort to keep our city safe.”
Adams’ remarks on Tuesday echoed those of NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who proposed the policy at a news conference late last month.
“We’re asking [local] businesses to make it a condition of entry that people should show their face, that they identify themselves,” Maddrey said. “Pre-pandemic, most businesses wouldn’t allow you to walk in with a mask and latex gloves on.”
The city recorded 17,411 robberies in 2022, up from 13,371 in 2019 and 13,831 in 2021, NYPD data shows. Year to date as of Feb. 26, the NYPD had logged 2,415 robberies citywide, down from 2,465 during the same period last year.
Asked to address concerns that the policy would leave immunocompromised New Yorkers afraid to enter businesses, Adams on Tuesday said he was “not going to interpret the fear of someone, because fear is personalized to who you are and how you’re feeling.”
“If someone is immunocompromised and they believe that, ‘If I take my mask off for three seconds, that I may catch something,’ I gotta respect that,” he said.
He also, however, maintained some New Yorkers were not masking up with COVID-19 in mind.
“Now, don’t kid yourself that everyone that’s wearing a mask is feeling immunocompromised,” he said. “Don’t believe that hustle.”
Businesses including high-end jewelry shops should consider using a buzzer system to keep customers who refuse to unmask outside, the mayor said — a measure Mateo suggested on Monday.
“For those that want to maybe criticize what we are asking for, we invite them to come and work one day or one night in a bodega, and live what these people are living so that they understand that we are not trying to pick on anybody,” Mateo said. “We are just trying to get back home alive and safe to our families.”


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Most people consider Google to be a connector to information — in the same way that Flickr connects users to photos — yet one UCLA professor has recently taken up the cause that Google functions more as a publisher, like a newspaper, and should be treated as such by the law. And as journalists receive freedom of the press, entitled to pick and choose what content they prefer without government interference, Google's search results, the professor argues, should be protected under First Amendment rights too.
Google, the number one search engine in the world, promises that its algorithm pulls the most relevant results from trusted sources to "answer" search queries related to news, places, people, things, and products. The site does not promise neutrality in those results, and competitors have argued that Google's algorithms favor Google products and Google-owned services. If Google is protected under the First Amendment, then it is protected by law to favor its products and certain websites while excluding others.
Does Google's search-engine product deserve a freedom-of-press type of legal protection, shielding it from claims of anticompetitive practices, or should it be regulated like other large corporations are?


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Walmart protester going full steam ahead
Former Walmart worker Colby Harris joins the MHP panel to discuss his firing by the retail giant, which he claims was in retaliation for protesting against the company.


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Start-ups: how to create your own car app
You have an idea for an app to help drivers, but how do you make it happen? We find out from two young entrepreneurs at a digital start-up
Smartphone app development is the latest hunting ground for entrepreneurs looking to make their fortune. Scan the online stores of your relevant device and you’ll find hundreds of new and exciting apps hitting the screen for download each week.
That makes standing out in such a crowded market – and bringing something completely unique and useful – a tricky business. Get it right, though, and there’s certainly money to be made.
That includes in motoring, too. You just need to look at the range of different apps available, from parking to dash cam functions and sat-navs to fuel prices, all aimed at making the everyday driver’s life that little bit easier. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is even going digital, as it develops an app for the driving licence.
However, even with the perfect concept, it’s not easy to take that idea and develop it into a fully fledged company. So just how do you get a start-up off the ground? Auto Express caught up with Ed Craddock and Will Beeching, who run their own digital agency in Ashford, Kent and have just begun the start-up journey as they develop their PassPilot app.
PassPilot is a tool for learner drivers and aims to help students find instructors, book lessons and track their progress, while instructors can access a huge pool of potential customers and store learning aids. The app can also feature instructor specialities such as training nervous drivers, while a rating system would be employed similar to TripAdvisor or Uber. Future development could see the app link up with the DVLA for approved driving instructors, and it’s feasible that insurers or manufacturers could advertise policies or new cars to soon-to-be drivers.
A test booking function is being worked on, too, which will search for cancellations and book students in so they can move to an earlier test slot – an attractive USP. Will explains the idea behind the app: “My girlfriend wanted to find an instructor but there was nothing like it on the web or as an app. It’s an industry that hasn’t been brought up to date – a lot of it is word of mouth.”
The pair did some research on forums, speaking to ex-learners, current students and instructors to see if it was worthwhile developing. The general reception was “how is there not something like this?”. Will added: “It’s not the first idea we have come up with, but it’s the one that really excited us and can bring a benefit to users.” Armed with feedback, Will and Ed took the next step: prototyping.
That stage is now complete, with Will and Ed using their own skills to design the user interface. This is a process that would normally take up to six weeks, but with the pair working in their spare time, it took just a few days.
Ed said: “We’ve been building ideas for other people and we thought ‘What can we bring to the market that’s a new idea?’. That’s what we’re motivated by.” With the layouts and functionality mapped out, the next step is development and for this, the pair need investment to get a software guru on board. To take the plunge, a start-up needs around £20,000 to get the app developed, and a further £150,000 to run the business for a year – including all the cash required for marketing the app and getting it on as many devices as possible. Investors wanted to see more than just a prototype, though, before parting with their cash – so Will and Ed have begun their own web development to give a flavour of the system, with a beta version of the site.
In the long term, revenue will come from £1 of each lesson booked through the app being diverted back to the company. To enable this – or any app – to make money, it needs to be marketed correctly. For PassPilot, that means social media such as Facebook and Instagram to target learner drivers. Positively, thousands have already signed up online to show interest in the app once it goes live.
Initially, the duo are focusing on the south-east, with the app slated for release in 2017 – and hope to reach 24,000 lessons per week booked through the app.Right now, these goals are a way off – but as so many apps in the past have demonstrated, get it right and a small start-up can grow into a huge success story.
Top tips for start-ups
1. Always do your research
Don’t try to force the product. Ask if there is a problem or a need, and then bring the solution. Make sure the business plan is decided upon.
2. Fully understand the app
Know how the app will work and make sure the design is easy to use – and benefits people. Nobody will return to an overly complicated app.
3. Generate a pre-user base
Marketing of the app should be done before the launch to generate interest for when the app is ready to go. This will assist with securing funding from investors or through crowdfunding.
4. Give the app plenty of exposure
Once it’s ready, the app needs to be seen and used by as many users as possible. This is where the marketing budget will be spent, and pre-user base utilised.
5. Continue to improve it
While it’s fine to release a polished app, generating updates and new versions on a regular cycle is vital to keeping users coming back. Responding to what extra functions users are demanding is important, too.
Do you have a great idea for a motoring app? Why not let us know in the comments...


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Caps and closures in the edible oils and vinegars portfolio are available in a variety of colours and come with optional tamper evident and tear-off membrane security features.
A new landmark Populus poll commissioned by Nature 2030 has revealed that people in the UK will support an ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme model with a variable deposit.
Packaging giants partner to develop more sustainable food packaging solution which can reduce plastics by up to 85%.
HERMA US Inc, the subsidiary of HERMA GmbH, has introduced a self-adjusting system for high-precision top labelling.
With the commercial launch of combismile in Europe, brands and producers can differentiate themselves and stand out in a competitive on-the-go market in fully recyclable cartons.
An emphasis on simplicity, health and premium positioning is reflected in the clean lines of Ardagh’s tall, slender 33cl sleek manufactured in the UK, which The Naked Collective has adopted for its whole product range.
Specialty inks that are popular among consumers for driving interest on packaging for beer, soda and candy are now also feasible for fountain cups, as a result of Chromatic Technologies’ invention of solvent-specialty inks.
Ahead of World Environment Day (5 June), Pro Carton has launched the third animation in its ‘The Carton Campaigners’ series, this time explaining the benefits of renewable packaging materials.
The University of Portsmouth is introducing a virtual symposium, Futures for Food, on 28 May 2020.
Making the jars 100% plastic free, Whole Earth has removed the plastic tamper seal on all its glass jars.


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The evolution of electric vehicles, once hailed as the savior of the planet, is now facing a backward momentum.
- In our haste to fix the planet, we did not think EVs through from production to consumption.
- The rush to dominate the market has made it nearly impossible for us to buy EVs.
- Insurance companies are debating whether to drop EVs, or not.
I don’t know if you have been keeping up with the news lately, but the electric vehicle (EV) industry is in trouble. From major automotive giants slowing down their efforts to people somehow politicizing the industry, it’s unclear where humanity went wrong with its favorite effort to save the planet. As things stand, insurance companies are having second thoughts on supporting EVs. So, if the sector doesn’t clean up its act as soon as possible, EVs will become like horses, a coveted token of wealth. That much is clear.
The Cart Before of the Horse
Modern EVs emerged in the late 20th century in response to the 1973 Oil Crisis and growing climate concerns. Nothing well-planned and thought-out ever comes of a state of mass panic. As a result, EVs became THE climate solution, and the world was satisfied with that answer. As the GM of Marketing and Product at Mitsubishi Motors, Jeff Allison, puts it in his article for our latest issue, “[EVs] have been hailed as the frontrunners, but it’s essential to view them as just a gateway, not the ultimate destination.” Companies across the board just hyper-fixated on making high-tech EVs, that could rival internal combustion engine (ICE) cars any day of the week, before the other guy. And race they did.
The Tortoise and the Hare
Today, we find ourselves in a pesky situation. On the one hand, companies and consumers alike realize the potential EVs have for their pockets and the world, respectively. On the other, however, these companies’ thirst to be first, like some weird teacher’s pet, has rendered living in the very capitalistic world they made downright impossible. Personal electric vehicles are becoming a luxury. Most people would agree that putting a roof over their heads is more important than doing their individual duties toward Mother Earth. Don’t get me wrong, we like the cars, just not the price tag.
The Nail in the Coffin
If things couldn’t get any worse, insurance companies are now debating whether to keep supporting EVs. Some have already taken that plunge. The lack of insight into battery repair costs is causing higher premiums and even some insurers refusing coverage. Good electric car repair costs are about 25% higher on average than ICE vehicles. Experts fear the threat of thermal runaway in damaged batteries, but diagnostic techniques are lacking. While premiums may level out once risks are better understood, the issue poses short-term challenges.
Manufacturing EVs is not as green as desired considering our day and age. Buying EVs costs an arm and a leg. Fixing them in case of an accident costs two kidneys and a left eye. So, why should consumers buy electric cars in this economy anymore? No wonder Tesla’s electric vehicle sales are plummeting, and Ford is pausing its $12 billion in electric car spending. The middle class is almost gone now. The consumer can no longer afford to live and be ecologically conscious. Going electric is no longer anywhere near the top of the priority list.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.


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Mashantucket — If Digger could speak, she’d likely sing the praises of CBD oil, the natural remedy said to cure people’s — and pups’ — aches and pains.
But really, her gait says it all.
A 2-year-old beagle, Digger limped around for months after injuring a hind leg, according to her owner, Jodi Harvey. Nothing Harvey tried seemed to help.
Then Harvey decided to give CBD oil a shot.
“I put some in her food every day for five days,” Harvey said. “On the sixth day, she stopped limping and hasn’t limped since.”
The 41-year-old Harvey tells Digger’s story when asked about the impetus for Remedy Tree, the business Harvey launched in June in the Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Operating Friday, Saturday and Sunday from a kiosk near the Eddie Bauer outlet on the mall’s second floor, Harvey initially committed to six months there. She recently reupped for another six.
Now, she’s working on finding a second location, perhaps in a downtown storefront somewhere. But for a start-up, the Tanger at Foxwoods site has been ideal — close to Harvey’s North Stonington home and a nexus of retail foot traffic.
CBD sales are on the rise, with products containing the chemical widely available online. Some research indicates CBD can be effective in treating arthritis, inflammation, pain and anxiety. Harvey’s mother, for example, unwilling to rely on prescription medications and their potential side effects, has turned to CBD to ease the pain of arthritis in her knees, back and fingers.
Harvey said Remedy Tree sales got a bump when Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, the former New England Patriots tight end, announced he was helping launch a line of CBD products, saying he’d used CBD since retiring and was free of pain for the first time in more than a decade.
“Still, a lot of people don’t have any idea what CBD is,” said Harvey, who sees education as a main thrust of Remedy Tree’s mission.
According to the state Department of Consumer Protection, CBD, short for cannabidiol, is extracted from the hemp plant and chemically similar to tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. CBD, however, produces no “high.” In Connecticut, CBD products sold outside medical marijuana dispensaries may only be manufactured from hemp with THC concentrations below 0.3%.
Remedy Tree’s CBD products contain zero THC, Harvey noted.
“The No. 1 thing is that everything is lab tested,” she said. “You can pick up CBD at a gas station, but if it’s not lab tested you can’t be sure what’s in it. All my products (obtained from a U.S. manufacturer) have a bar code that you can scan to get the lab-testing details.”
Remedy Tree products include gummies, capsules, and sublinguals placed under the tongue. Topical applications come in the form of creams and salves. Prices include $36 for dog treats, $45 for a bag of 30 gummies and bottles of CBD oil tinctures ranging from $38 to $135.
Harvey, who previously worked in the health club business, has signed on with the Hartford Marathon Foundation as a contributing sponsor, an affiliation that exposed her to another nonprofit, Middletown-based Running for Rescues, which raises money for animal shelters and animal-rescue organizations.
Jodi Dougherty of Running for Rescues said Harvey offered to donate a portion of the proceeds from Remedy Tree sales of CBD products for animals. In turn, Running for Rescues recommends Remedy Tree products to shelters.
Harvey said her repeat business is strong and that her customers range in age from “18 to 80.” She launched a website, remedy-tree.com, in October and offers to personally deliver orders to those in need.


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Tilray takes full ownership of Truss Beverage from Molson Coors Canada
Posted August 18, 2023 1:12 pm.
Cannabis company Tilray Brands Inc. is taking on full ownership of the pot drinks company it ran with Molson Coors Canada.
The Leamington, Ont.-based pot firm said Friday that it had signed a deal to acquire the remaining 57.5 per cent of Truss, which is behind the XMG, Little Victory, Mollo, Veryvell, House of Terpenes and Bedfellows Liquid Arts brands.
The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, but Molson Coors indicated it was willing to relinquish its stake because of the state of the market.
“The cannabis beverage market hasn’t grown to the industry’s initial expectations, so we decided to sell our portion of the TrussCanada joint venture and exit this space as we turn our focus to other segments with stronger growth potential,” said Adam Collins, the brewer’s chief communications officer, in a statement.
However, Blair MacNeil, Tilray’s president, saw Truss as a way for his company to bolster its “stable of high-growth brands” and said the acquisition “further strengthens” its position in the Canadian market.
“We are excited to build upon our leading portfolio of beloved cannabis brands and to further diversify our product offerings while broadening our consumer reach and enhancing consumer’s lives,” he said in a statement.
Tilray’s move to up its stake in Truss comes as the cannabis industry rethinks how it can deal with persistent market headwinds.
Some firms have lamented how the illicit market has proved resilient, U.S. legalization has been slower than expected and a proliferation of cannabis stores has made building brand loyalty difficult.
To cope, many companies have resorted to layoffs and facility closures, but several are also eyeing other businesses.
Aurora Cannabis Inc., for example, is ramping up plans to grow and sell orchids.
Tilray, meanwhile, has put much of its attention on beverages.
Aphria, which was acquired by Tilray in late 2020, bought SweetWater Brewing Company, an Atlanta, Georgia-based craft beer company, ahead of the merger.
Aphria paid US$300-million for the deal, which it positioned as a way to expand into the U.S. and access the market more quickly in the event of federal legalization.
Tilray added even more booze to its portfolio earlier this month, when it signed a deal to buy eight beer and beverage brands from Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC.
The eight brands are Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Company, and HiBall Energy.
The brands are poised to make Tilray the fifth-largest craft beer operation in the United States.
The Truss deal straddles both arms of Tilray’s business, allowing it to blend its cannabis and non-cannabis experience.
But cannabis beverages are not always an easy sell. Many see them as a novelty and are less likely to consume them because they are not sold in venues like bars or restaurants.
The latest data from the Ontario Cannabis Store shows beverages made up just two per cent of the pot retailer and weed shops’ sales between January and March of 2022.
Almost $7 million in cold cannabis beverages were sold, with dealcoholized drinks bringing in less than $400,000 and hot beverages slightly more than $300,000.
By comparison, edibles, including baked goods, soft chews and chocolate, made up five per cent of sales, while dried flower reigned supreme, capturing half of all sales, which were valued at more than $200 million.
Those who are drinking cannabis beverages have seen fewer big names on pot store shelves recently.
Labatt Breweries of Canada bowed out of the cannabis business last year, winding down Fluent Beverages, which made non-alcoholic drinks containing some of the active ingredients found in cannabis.
Actor Seth Rogen’s Houseplant brand, which was known for its cannabis-infused grapefruit and lemon sparkling waters, also left Canada, after ending its partnership with Canopy Growth Corp. The company has vowed to return to the country but has yet to relaunch.
But at least one analyst thinks cannabis beverage proponents have reason to be optimistic.
“With combustion generally on the decline in tobacco, we believe that non-combustible formats in cannabis will become increasingly popular as well, in particular beverages serving as an easier substitute social lubricant vs. alcohol,” wrote TD Cowen analyst Vivien Azer in a Friday note to investors.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2023.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TLRY, TSX:TPX.B, TSX:ACB, TSX:WEED)
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press


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Whizzle Ltd, who recently renewed their partnership with Insight Data, have revealed how Insight’s Salestracker software has helped them produce more accurate analysis for both sales and marketing.
Whizzle specialise in supplying consumables such as sealants, adhesives and screws into the fenestration industry. Jenny Read, Marketing Manager commented;
“We chose Insight Data as they have detailed information on fenestration companies allowing us to segment customers better and target them according to what products they are likely to use. Salestracker has more information regarding these companies and their activities than other databases we previously used or have come across.”
The cloud-based Salestracker platform has detailed information on over 15,000 fabricators and installers, as well as 45,000 other contacts in the building and construction industry. The data is updated in real-time by Insight Data’s research team and enables companies such as Whizzle to produce detailed, accurate market analysis to aid their sales and marketing teams.
Jenny Explained; “We use it to readily distribute potential sales leads by size and by company activity amongst our sales team. The data enables us to get an estimate for the potential market for new products. In product development and launches the data is a useful segmentation tool for example when we introduced a new aluminium solvent cleaner we were able to approach those customers who specialise in aluminium rather than bombarding everyone.”
Helen Costeloe-Hughes, commercial director at Insight Data said; “Salestracker helps companies increase results while dramatically reducing marketing costs, by enabling users to analyse, profile and segment their target customers precisely, saving time and money.”
Salestracker is the world’s first fully integrated sales and marketing platform designed exclusively for the building and fenestration industry.
For more information, visit www.insightdata.co.uk or call 01934 808293


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Earlier this month, Verizon announced its FiOS cable service would offer "Custom TV," which are slimmer and less expensive packages of channels grouped by genres, such as sports or kids entertainment, to appeal to potential cord cutters.
Several networks protested, including ESPN, NBC and Fox, whose revenues are closely tied to preserving the long-standing cable bundle. ESPN, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., protested saying Verizon's slimmer bundles violated their licensing agreements for ESPN and ESPN 2.
"ESPN is at the forefront of embracing innovative ways to deliver high-quality content and value to consumers on multiple platforms, but that must be done in compliance with our agreements. We simply ask that Verizon abide by the terms of our contracts," the company said in a statement.
An ESPN spokesperson added that the disagreement was not primarily about money, but about sending a message that cable partners can't "unilaterally change deals" without permission. The spokesperson added that ESPN and several programmers negotiated for more than one year with Dish Network to carry programs on a new streaming service called SlingTV and that the network expects the same approach to new packages by FiOS and other distributors.
Deirdre Hart, a spokeswoman for Verizon, responded: "Consumers have spoken loud and clear that they want choice, and the industry should be focused on giving consumers what they want. We are well within our rights under our agreements to offer our customers these choices."


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Mrs Hinch has brought back her exclusive Hinch x F&F range in partnership with Tesco, and fans are already obsessed.
The Essex influencer, known as Mrs Hinch on Instagram, revealed the range in a new post on the F&F account yesterday (October 20), while wearing a fluffy outfit set from her new collection.
The post was captioned: “Drumroll please.
Read more: Celebrity news from Essex
“The exclusive Hinch x F&F range is back and ready to make your days even cosier.
“In your local @tescofood store now-you’d better be quick, it’s going to sell out fast.”
Mrs Hinch is wearing a soft and fluffy cardigan-dressing gown crossover that looks perfect for snuggling, with a strappy top and leggings in the same material underneath.
The comments show just how excited people are about this launch.
One person wrote: “I picked up the white one I need them all” with heart-eyes and heart emojis.
Another said: “Got my black set yesterday. Super soft”.
Lots of people simply wrote “Need!” with lots of exclamation marks and heart emojis, and people were gushing about how beautiful Mrs Hinch herself looks in the photo.
One poster said: “Could Soph be any more beautiful? Absolutely loving this new collection!”
Want the latest Essex news direct to your inbox? Sign up here.


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CBT Automotive Conference and Expo Come See Us! Booth 415
Join us in Atlanta for the Car Biz Today Automotive Conference and Expo February 9th through February 11th. Visit our team of automotive consultants to see why six of the top 10 automotive dealer groups in the United States use ELEAD1ONE products. Your discount code for $200 off is CBT-ELEAD-VIP (please toggle Dealer or OEM when registering on the conference website)
ELEAD1ONE is proud to be an Executive sponsor of the inaugural event. ELEAD1ONE Partner Bill Wittenmyer is one of the 70 automotive industry experts addressing the latest industry trends as he hosts two breakout sessions titled “MISSED PROFITS: Closing the Gap Between Sales and Service”.
Be sure to check out Bill’s session at the times below:
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 2:35 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.


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Campbell earnings fall 14% on high commodity costs
Feb. 17, 2012
CAMDEN, N.J. — Cost inflation and marketing investments contributed to a 14% decline in earnings during the second quarter at Campbell Soup Co.
For the quarter ended Jan. 29, the company had earnings of $205 million, equal to 64c per share on the common stock, which compared with earnings of $239 million, or 72c per share, during the same quarter of the previous year. Sales for the year were $2,112 million, down 1% from $2,127 million during the same quarter of the previous year.
“Sales gains in our U.S. Beverages business, where we have a solid ongoing innovation program, outpaced category growth,” said Denise Morrison, president and chief executive officer. “Trends in this business improved since the launch of our new advertising campaign in October. Significant cost inflation and marketing investments negatively impacted profitability in both the quarter and the half.
“Across our portfolio, we increased marketing spending this quarter, consistent with our plan to shift our emphasis to longer-term brand-building activities. Advertising and consumer promotion expense rose 6% as we invested in key brands.
“We are executing a strategic turnaround in an environment of weak volume and high inflation across the food industry. Our first half has been impacted by headwinds in our beverages and Australian businesses, but we continue to make progress against our key growth strategies. In the second half, we expect improved trends in our beverages and Australian businesses, and in U.S. Soup we will begin to cycle our change in discounting, providing an opportunity for better sales performance. We will continue to invest in brand building and innovation, and we are on track to achieve our full-year guidance.”
The U.S. Simple Meals segment had operating earnings of $174 million during the quarter, down 2% from $177 million during the same quarter of the previous year. Sales for the segment were $824 million, down 2%.
Operating earnings for the Global Baking and Snacking segment totaled $71 million, down 12% from $81 million during the same quarter of the previous year. Sales for the segment were $526 million, comparable with the same quarter of the previous year.
For the six months, the company as a whole had earnings of $470 million, or $1.45 per share, down 9% from $518 million, or $1.53 per share, during the same period of the previous year. Sales for the six months were $4,273 million, down 1%.


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Even though the adoption rate of the current Android OS is as little as 1%. There are already details regarding the next version of Android codenamed ‘’P’’. Which would be known as Android 9.0 ‘’Pistachio Ice Cream’’.
According to various sources, Google is already making its goals for the next Android version. Which includes changing the design and the look of the Android OS. That would make it more appealing to every other user out there, with iOS users in mind. Because Google is also planning to switch iOS users over to Android. The next version of Android is also expected to have support for the notch that is featured on the Essential Phone and the iPhone X.
The next version of Android is also expected to support new phone designs. Which aside from the notch, also includes phones with multiple or flexible displays. Aside from that a lot of attention would also be given to battery life improvements.
Google Assistant has now become a big part of the Android OS. But that is not where it ends as Google have plans to expand it even further. Which might be integrated in a lot of different apps through developers. We won’t be surprised if Google did so, because the current Google Pixel phones have a dedicated gimmicky feature dedicated to launching Google Assistant.
Google is also expected to announce its next version of Android on Google I/O this May. But we might get to see its developer preview before that happens, just like Google did with the current version of Android.
Currently the Essential phone is the only Android device with a notch on it. While Huawei is also expected to bring something similar with the launch of its next flagship device, the Huawei P20. That will be announced soon during Mobile World Congress.


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Well, it took three years but it looks like the repercussions of Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating is finally reaching the very top of the company’s ladders. Rupert Stadler, CEO of VW’s luxury brand Audi, has been arrested in Germany as part of the still-ongoing investigation into who was truly accountable for the decision to install cheat devices on diesel cars.
Stadler has been with Audi for 28 years, and CNN reports that his arrest was linked to possible “evidence tampering” associated with the investigation. The longtime Audi boss is officially the highest ranking employee of Volkswagen to be arrested thus far, and also had his home searched by investigators.
The arrest is just the latest bullet point on an extremely long timeline that began back in 2015. That’s when investigators discovered that many Volkswagen vehicles which ran on diesel had been equipped with “defeat devices.” The illegal hardware that was installed on the cars provided different emissions readings when being tested as opposed to when the car was being driven normally.
The sophisticated cheating system allowed the cars to recognize when its emissions were being tested and, when environmental agencies like the EPA brought them in for observation, the cars maximized clean emissions for the purposes of getting good scores. Then, when the car knew it was being driven under normal conditions, it would maximize performance at the expense of emissions, breaking a million rules in the process.
Volkswagen was forced to offer a full refund to anyone who had purchased a vehicle that had the cheat device installed. Combined with the fees, settlements, and associated costs, the entire scandal has ended up costing the company somewhere around $30 billion. The company plead guilty here in the United States, and VW has a massive collection of now-worthless vehicles that it has to deal with.
The fate of Audi CEO Stadler and his ultimate role in the whole emissions cheating affair remain to be seen, but he’s likely not the last high-profile VW exec that will end up in handcuffs.


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According to DigiTimes' "upstream supply chain," Intel is readying technology that will wirelessly charge Intel powered smartphones via over-the-air induction. To put it in layman's terms, hardware inside the phone will be able to grab low power electricity from mid-air and charge the battery. It's safe, and already has a standard in the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi method, which we've seen in action with contact induction charging on the Thunderbolt. The real barrier, according to the sources has been cost.
Both Sharp and NTT Docomo have launched devices that charge wirelessly via the Qi standard in Japan, but prohibitive costs have kept it from becoming the norm. Samsung was expected to release a similar product this summer, but the project has been delayed until the end of 2012 or early 2013.
What's different about Intel's rumored offering is the power "source". Supposedly to debut on ultrabooks, a chip inside the laptop will transmit power through the air to an Intel powered smartphone, like Orange's San Diego model. Intel's resources and software group can likely bring the price point down to more reasonable levels, which other OEMs could integrate into their hardware.
Hopefully options that consist of a wall socket that works stand-alone with the correct smartphone hardware will follow soon, then we can stop worrying about battery life and just buy a sub-station for home and the office. It's one way to address battery life issues that smartphone users suffer from on every platform, and with Intel behind it, it becomes a real possibility now.


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A listing on AnTuTu has revealed that the Nvidia Shield 2 will feature Nvidia’s new Tegra K1 SoC and 4GB of RAM.
This week we talk about Microsoft Office going free, Portal for Android, Link Bubble, Spotify discounts, and more Android apps you shouldn’t miss!
Nvidia’s portable Android gaming device is set to receive a large software update next week, including Android KitKat, new streaming features, and a price cut to $199.
Today Nvidia took the wraps off its LTE variant of the Tegra Note 7, priced at $299. The device is expected to ship starting in Q2 2014. Read on for more details!
This week we talk about a new Star Wars card game, the NSA using Angry Birds to obtain personal data about players, building things with Legos in Chrome, and of course five more apps you don’t want to miss this week!
Nvidia has pushed through the kind of app update that we all love to see, removing device restrictions to open up TegraZone for all Android devices running 2.2 and up.
The first collection of benchmarks for Nvidia’s new Tegra K1 SoC have appeared, but can the chip live up to the reputation of its Kepler GPU?
Nvidia has unveiled the latest member of its Tegra mobile processor lineup. Here’s an in-depth look at the Nvidia Tegra K1 and what it means for mobile devices.
Our team has been hard at work at CES and we have the posts and video to show it. If you just want all the good stuff in one place, we have you covered. Here’s a look at what went down at CES 2014 on Sunday.
It’s day zero of the International Consumer Electronics Show, one of the oldest and most important electronics shows in the world and the unofficial kickoff of the technology year.
We’ll do our best to help you make out the signal from the noise – here’s what to expect.


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Phillip Lim may have launched his ready-to-wear line nine years ago, but he’s never put out a campaign. Until now, that is. For the first time since 2004, Lim has teamed up with photographer Alessio Bolzoni and stylist Nancy Rohde to shoot a series of ads, which star models Katryn Kruger and Franzi Mueller. “We as a brand have always made decisions based on instinct from the very beginning,” Lim told Style.com. “So Spring 2013 feels like the right time for us to launch our first-ever advertising campaign.” Showing Lim’s grunge-inspired Spring looks in action on a vibrant New York street, the ads have a raw urban edge that recalls a post-show street-style frenzy (not unlike the one we saw outside the designer’s Spring ‘13 show last September). Lim’s first campaign will appear in the spring issues of Another Magazine, Love,Interview, and The Gentlewoman, among others.
Photo: Courtesy of 3.1 Phillip Lim


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ACT says Class 8 net orders heading in the right direction
On the heels of a promising projection for fourth quarter 2010 Class 8 vehicle net orders, ACT Research, a provider of data and analysis for trucks and other commercial vehicles, said that December net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles for North American markets at 27,044 units were up 128 percent year-over-year.
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On the heels of a promising projection for fourth quarter 2010 Class 8 vehicle net orders, ACT Research, a provider of data and analysis for trucks and other commercial vehicles, said that December net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles for North American markets at 27, 044 units were up 128 percent year-over-year.
ACT said in its most recent edition of “State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles” that Class 8 orders in December hit its highest monthly total since May 2006, with full-year production of Class 8 vehicles up 30 percent over 2009 at 154,290 units.
“Unlike previous cycles that have been dominated by the U.S., there is a greater breadth of geographic demand for Class 8 equipment this time,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst, in a statement. “While U.S. demand is ramping nicely, orders bound for Canada; Mexico; and non-NAFTA export markets remain at healthy levels,” added Vieth.
Earlier this month, ACT projected full-year 2010 Class 8 production to come in at about 154,500 units for a 31 percent gain over a weak 2009 and remains below normal replacement demand. The firm added that it expects demand to continue over the next two years, calling for 2012 and 2013 production to top 300,000 units. On the trailer side, ACT expects production to hit annual growth rates north of 50 percent in 2010 and 2011 compared to a weak 2009.
In a recent interview with LM, Vieth said that “all the stars are aligning” when it comes to Class 8 demand and the current environment.
As 2010 progressed, Vieth said there was a continued shrinkage of Class 8 fleets, with fewer Class 8 trucks on the road at the end of 2010 than there were at the beginning of 2010.
“We had growing freight volume throughout 2010, especially in the first half of the year,” said Vieth. “With freight growing and the tractor supply falling, trucker profitability rose. And used truck prices went up throughout the year. In December 2009, the average used truck price was roughly $35,000-to-$36,000, and at the end of 2010 that price was more than $43,000.”
About the AuthorJeff Berman, Group News Editor Jeff Berman is Group News Editor for Logistics Management, Modern Materials Handling, and Supply Chain Management Review. Jeff works and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he covers all aspects of the supply chain, logistics, freight transportation, and materials handling sectors on a daily basis. Contact Jeff Berman
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LuLu’s Lunchbox, a new breakfast and lunch takeout establishment on Lafayette Street in Norwich is off to a very strong start, according to owner Melissa Stone.
The restaurant, which opened earlier this year, is located in the former Linda’s Market where Melissa worked as a kid growing up in Norwich. Melissa and her husband, Brad, purchased the building in the summer of 2014, and worked to renovate a vacant building into a small business that is doing well in its first few months, offering takeout and delivery food to homes and businesses throughout the city.
Melissa said the biggest challenges she faced in opening LuLu’s Lunchbox, which is named for Melissa’s grandmother, Louise Boldrighine, was the brutal winter of 2015. While the accumulating snow made it difficult for her customers to get in to LuLu’s (and her deliveries to get out), the word-of-mouth reputation for quality food began to spread once the weather improved.
While the permitting process can be intimidating for any new, small business owner, Melissa’s interactions with both the City of Norwich and NPU went very smoothly. She attributes this to her business experience in construction and an understanding of the requirements needed to get started. With the logistics and permitting in place in a seamless manner, she was able to focus on developing a menu with seasonal adjustments and providing her customers with great food.


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Those already outraged by the president’s health care legislation now have a new bone of contention — a scarcely noticed tack-on provision to the law that puts gold coin buyers and sellers under closer government scrutiny.
Starting Jan. 1, 2012, Form 1099s will become a means of reporting to the Internal Revenue Service the purchases of all goods and services by small businesses and self-employed people that exceed $600 during a calendar year. Precious metals such as coins and bullion fall into this category and coin dealers have been among those most rankled by the change.
With spot market prices for gold at nearly $1,200 an ounce, Heller estimates that he’ll be filling out between 10,000 and 20,000 tax forms per year after the new law takes effect.
“I’ll have to hire two full-time people just to track all this stuff, which cuts into my profitability,” he said.
An issue that combines gold coins, the Obama health care law and the IRS is bound to stir passions. Indeed, trading in gold coins and bars has surged since the financial crisis unfolded and Obama took office, metal dealers said.
“Everyone agrees that small businesses are job creators and the engine which drives the American economy. I am dumfounded that this Administration is doing all it can to make it more difficult for businesses to succeed rather than doing all it can to help them grow.”
Thank you Our Mother of Health Care..We are reading the tax health bill to see what is in it…More about tax less about health.


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CB Insights features there Nigeria’s fintech startups in its Q3’19 Fintech Sector Trends
CB Insights, the leading tech market intelligence platform that analyzes millions of data points on venture capital, startups, patents, partnerships and news mentions, features three of Nigeria’s fintech startups in its Q3 2019 Fintech Sector Trends. The three fintech startups are Kuda, FairMoney and Chipper.
Kuda has risen a pre-seed funding of $1.6 million with select investors from the Startupbootcamp. The startup has gained over 10,000 installs on Google Play. Kuda uses smartphone data to underwrite micro-credit in Nigeria. Kuda has a license from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In quarter three under review, FairMoney got Series A funding of $11 million with selectors investors from DST, Flourish Venture, Le Studio VC, NewFund Capital, Speedinvest. The startup has gained over 1 million installs on Google Play, 200,000 users, facilitating 400 payments daily and disbursed close to 500,000 micro-loans since launching.
FairMoney’s focus is on lending license in Nigeria and hopes that it will get its own microfinance license from the Central Bank. The company will partner with microfinance institutions to launch current accounts, savings, and payments.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Brett King Storms Nigeria for Annual Bankers’ Committee Retreat 2019
Chipper was launched in the third quarter of 2019 with $2.4M funding from Deciens Capital, 500 startups, and Liquid 2 Ventures. It has gained over 500,000 installs on Google Play, processed over 250,000 transactions and has over 70,000 users.
Chipper Cash is a mobile cross-border payment platform. All in-country P2P transactions on Chipper Cash are free. Chipper is also expanding its network of merchants.
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The UK has created more unicorn tech companies – firms valued at more than 1 billion US dollars – than any other countries bar the US and China.
More than a third of Europe's fastest-growing tech companies are now based in Britain, with 45 unicorns based in London alone. As recently as Monday, Theresa May pledged £153 million to progress quantum computing.
Tech is EVERYWHERE and is disrupting EVERYTHING: our society and our buildings, our retail spaces and our workspaces.
Change is to be expected as old ideas become obsolete. But in today’s world, change isn’t unfolding at a constant rate - it’s unfolding at a faster and faster rate creating significant challenges for our society.
Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. For Lara Marrero, Principal, Strategy Director and Global Retail Practice Leader at Gensler, “disruption can be an opportunity as well as a challenge.”
As she points out, “a decade ago, office workers worried about their jobs being outsourced overseas. Today, large companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google can easily assemble teams in the cloud to conduct sales and customer support among other things.”
That said, two questions remain:
(1) How can we ensure that we don’t forget about our physical experiences in the world?
(2) How do we design for the future of tech with human experience at the heart of it?
The retail world is moving at a supersonic pace. But for Lara Marrero PEOPLE - and not technology - are the driving force behind this change.
The forever time-poor consumer is challenging traditional retail models and is now looking for authenticity and a sense of community in brands and their retail experiences – and retailers have to deliver on these expectations if they’re to thrive in the long-run.
As Lara points out, “49% of people are in task mode when shopping, and the remainder of the time, they can be in aspiration, discovery, entertainment and social modes and this is where technology can help create truly immersive and unique retail experiences for consumers.”
Digital and human experiences
In 1996, the world was analogue. Fast forward to 2019 and almost everything is now digital. But innovation has not always been in the service of the people, and we’re now witnessing the emergence of loneliness, among other societal issues, as a result of this.
For Hans Neubert Global Creative Lead of Digital Experiences at Gensler “design shouldn’t only be about creating news things, but should also be about finding solutions to address what’s happening in our society.”
Before adding that “humans should be the driving force behind this and not technology” if we’re to successfully inject humanity and authenticity back in our buildings and our cities.
Digital and the workplace
Tech has infiltrated our workplaces and is changing the way we work, taking human interactions away from the physical and into the digital space. However, people are now demanding choice and autonomy from their workplace environment; whilst companies are still looking to crack the productivity code.
For Becky Spenceley, Senior Associate and Designer at Gensler, “there isn’t a one size fits all approach to design that will help deliver on these points.”
Natalie Engels, Design Director of Gensler, adds that “we as a result need to create highly personalised solutions for our clients that are backed-up by data to inform the design-process and tailored to their employees’ needs.”
And finally, people are now looking for “beauty and wonder” in their workplaces, and this is where designers can truly shape the conversation.


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Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in these are the words of Former United States Secretary of state Hilary Clinton. Despite the Global pandemic and recession, These Nigerian female entrepreneurs are pacesetters, smart, hard workers, intelligent, who are leading business owners in Nigeria. These women are not settling for less as they come up with new innovation everyday, creating jobs opportunities for unemployed in Nigeria. Zivang team celebrate these exceptional women, Read more below.
- Whenever you see a successful business, Someone once made a courageous decision, CEO of Forst Empire Limited, Mrs Titilope Oludipe Orire have proven to us 20 times that she is the boss. Having been working as a crew member behind the scene for 13 years, producing films and writing scripts in the entertainment industry. The beauty with brains in an exclusive interview with Zivang talks about her Entrepreneurial journey as CEO of sub companies in Fashion, Media and Agric business.
Orire Titilope is a wife, a mother, film writer/producer and an entrepreneur she hails from Epe, Lagos state. Along with my Husband are the Managing director of FORST EMPIRE LTD, which is the Parent Company of four other enterprises.These include; Forst Engineering Services, Forst Food, Forst Thrift/Diva Store and Forst Media which was initially Silueta Entertainment.
- Itajobi Oyindamola is a wife, mother and entrepreneur, from Ado Odo Ota, Ogun State, studied Mass communication from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ogun state, with over 5 years experience in Corporate human/customer relations. She is the CEO and Lead marketer for the brand ICE Spice, a range of healthy organic spices for some of the most preferred dishes, including soups and sauces to mention but a few.
Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. CEO and Lead marketer for the brand ICE Spice Mrs Itajobi Oyindamola is a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman who gave job opportunities to unemployed youths during the covid-19 pandemic in the agro-food business.
The Onitsha based entrepreneur during an online interview recently with Zivang team talks about what motivated her to start up agro-food business during the covid-19 pandemic, her campaign on Living a healthy Lifestyle, challenges she faced as an entrepreneur.
- CEO of Pison Tipping Point Limited, Blossom Aruedoghene Pogbe is one the Leading women in food products business.
The humble and intelligent graduate of B.Sc. Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Benin, Edo State in 1999 and Masters in Industrial and Labour Relations from University of Lagos, Lagos State in 2010, has over 15 years of work experience which cuts across Telecommunication, Infrastructure and Oil & Gas Industries. She has worked in various capacities over the years and grew in leadership roles from Officer to Supervisor/Senior HR Advisor and to Acting HR Manager.
In an interview recently with Zivang online team Mrs Blossom Aruedoghene Pogbe talks about her inspiration, challenges and future plans.
Blossom Aruedoghene Pogbe is a seasoned Human Resource Professional and an Entrepreneur with foundational experience in Marketing/Sales and Customers Service Relations. She is currently saddled with the responsibility of running, managing and growing the Brand, Blossom Food Products, the product arm of Pison Tipping Point Ltd.
Married to Anthony Pogbe and blessed with two awesome boys.
- CEO of Botis Foods Mrs Blessing Oti started a business during with the sole aim of ensuring every household in Nigeria eat healthy & affordable meals without breaking a bank. In a brief chat with Zivang team online, the hardworking, creative entrepreneur, Mrs Oti proves to Zivang team It’s not about ideas, but making ideas happen. Read interview excerpts below.
Additional Credit: Google quotes/ Hilary Clinton


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Len Blavatnik’s DAZN is once again considering the possibility of an IPO.
CommScope is to create a separate its Home Networks business into an independent publicly traded company.
The BBC is bringing in a refresh for BBC iPlayer on TVs.
Media technology company Amagi is to sponsor the Keynote Panel at the next Media Meet & Greet later this month.
A new SVOD platform for millennials has made its debut in Iliad’s Freebox platform in France.
Super aggregator ScreenHits TV has confirmed the launch of its mobile platform on Apple iPads, Android TV, Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick platforms.
Laszlo Zoltan, the CEO of TV/OTT equipment supplier DVEO, has died at the age of 73.
The number of households where an 8K TV is installed is expected to reach 72 million by 2025, according to the latest forecasts from Strategy Analytics.
Liberty Global and Telefonica have signalled their intention to appoint Lutz Schüler as chief executive officer of their proposed joint venture.
Over 1,000 Dutch villages are to be connected to fibre earlier than planned following new investment from the KPN and the ABP pension fund.


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It has been called the saddest Christmas TV ad ever and has "prompted floods of tears." A German supermarket chain's recently released video advertising its stores has hit a nerve.
The ad tells the story of a lonely old widower who seems especially sad now that it's Christmastime.
Trying to persuade his children to finally visit, he resorts to a desperate solution: He fakes his own death. My colleague Colby Itkowitz recently summarized what happens next:
His three grown children then receive a note that their father has died.
They tearfully leave their high-powered, metropolitan lives to return to their small town for the funeral. When they enter their father's home they see a dining table fully set, candles aglow, and a decorated Christmas tree. Their father emerges from the kitchen.
"This emotional ad of a supermarket chain brings tears to the eyes of 'adult' children all over the country," Barbara Vorsamer, a senior editor at the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, explained in a recent article.
"Many feel caught in the act: Don't they often consider their jobs, their friends, their hobbies more important than their aged relatives? Shouldn't they spend more time with grandma and grandpa — especially at Christmas?"
Germany has one of the world's oldest populations, and many older and elderly people there experience permanent or occasional loneliness, according to Germany's Humanist Association.
"There's a lot of stigma attached to loneliness in Germany, because the feeling is that people have only themselves to blame if they don't tend to their social contacts," Elke Schilling, a campaigner for senior citizens' rights, told the Associated Press.
High unemployment in east Germany also partially explains east-west differences in demographics. Many young Germans have moved from rural eastern areas to the west to find jobs. Although that development has slightly helped bring down unemployment rates, it has also worsened the demographic balance. Many elderly have been left on their own in the east.
But the east-west differences will gradually diminish as Germany's population rapidly ages as expected in the coming decades. Within the next 45 years, the nation's population will decline by at least 10 percent — whereas most countries, including the United States, expect the opposite to happen.
Some consider that dynamic to be the driving force behind Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to take in nearly 1 million refugees this year alone.
Refugees tend to be much younger than the average German citizen. Germany has one of the world's most generous welfare systems. But many are concerned that if the number of retirees keeps growing, social programs, including those designed for older citizens, will have to be cut.
Already today, about 20 percent of retirees over 70 stay in touch with no one or only one person, according to the German Center of Gerontology. One in four Germans that age are visited less than once a month by relatives. To help remedy the loneliness, the government has launched programs in which social workers visit retirees.
Klaus Pawletko, the director of a Berlin-based nonprofit organization that helps older people, told Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine in 2013: "For many of them, death is a relief."
Although the German supermarket chain has been criticized for encouraging "manipulative behavior," the ad has put an uncomfortable spotlight on a serious problem.


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RIP Tata Motors Nano: It was just 10
Updated: July 12, 2018 12:39 pm
Tata Motors Nano, the cheapest car in the world, the brainchild of Ratan Tata who envisaged India's teeming masses a safer and affordable alternative to families riding two-wheelers, is virtually dead. No announcement of its passing has been made though. The death is visible in a filing that stated that there was no export of Nano in June this year with just one unit produced in June, and sold just three units last month in the domestic market. Here are key aspects related to this 'People's Car'.


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We are pleased to announce that we have the highest cashback in the industry. We have some new features coming just around the corner, one of which is a solution to a problem we saw recently break out between two splinterlands members.
Cardauctionz.com is quickly becoming your splinterlands tool to success and extra source of fun!
To see and use the new market just visit https://cardauctionz.com/market


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Research Desk, Amar Ujala, New Delhi
Published by: Himanshu Mishra
Updated Wed, 13 Oct 2021 03:20 PM IST
The Consumer Price Index, or retail inflation, has declined by 3.26% within the last one year. At the same time, a huge decline of 10.39% has been seen in the Consumer Food Price Index. However, in the meantime, the prices of petrol, diesel and natural gas continued to rise. Read special report on inflation…
There has been a sharp decline in the inflation rate within a year.
– Photo : Amar Ujala
hear the news
Inflation is a big issue in the country. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MSPI) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) i.e. Retail Inflation and Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI). According to this, within the last one year, there has been a decline in retail inflation by 3.26%, while the inflation of food items has come down by 10.39%. Meaning in clear words, all the things you consume from food to drink in your domestic life have become cheaper.
Now let’s talk about petrol-diesel and natural gas. Petrol and diesel prices have increased by about Rs 15 from October 2020 to October 2021. Similarly, natural gas i.e. LPG, CNG and PNG has also increased by Rs 5-15. Now you must be thinking that even after increasing the price of petrol, diesel and gas, how is the inflation rate going down? Understand from Dr. Manoj Shrivastava, Economist of DAV College, Kanpur, what is the whole game of inflation…


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Choice International has unveiled plans to reach 300 brand shops across the country for the GREE & Lontor product through a retail franchise partnership with prospective investors. Gree& Lontor is the flagship electronics subsidiary of the Choice International Group.
Speaking at the launch of the franchise in Lagos, the Chairman CIG Motors, Chief Diana Chen, said that from inception in the year 2000, CIG Motors has actively explored the international market and has opened more than 20 brand shops in Nigeria in the last 18 months while adding that it is set to open additional 300 shops.
GREE is into residential and commercial air conditioners, while Lontor is among the top three brands in household electrical appliances around the world…
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News Archive from before July 2018


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Armstrong’s announcement came minutes before Nike Inc., announced it is terminating its personal contract with him.
Nike said it a statement that Armstrong had “misled” the company for a decade about doping. The company said it would continue to support Armstrong’s foundation.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive report last week detailing allegations of widespread doping by Armstrong and his teams when he won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005.
More breaking news
- Off-Broadway premiere for LIBN veteran scribe
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- How to pick a caterer or catering hall
- Union officials charged in $1M kickback scheme
- Barnes & Noble names Sears Canada CEO for retail business
- Spanish-language broadcaster Univision files for IPO
- US employers add 223K jobs; jobless rate falls to 5.3 percent


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This is the web version of Eastworld, Fortune’s newsletter focused on business and technology in Asia. Subscribe here to get future editions in your inbox.
“Make sure I win.”
That was U.S. President Donald Trump’s plea to Chinese President Xi Jinping at a June 2018 dinner in Osaka, Japan, according to former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton.
The dinner, held on the sidelines of a Group of 20 conference, came days after the White House announced a list of more than a thousand Chinese products targeted for 25% import tariffs. Trump, according to Bolton’s tell-all memoir, The Room Where It Happened, implored Xi to ramp up Chinese purchases of American agricultural products so that Trump could claim political credit in crucial midwestern swing states—and clinch his re-election.
“I probably will win anyway, so don’t hurt my farms… Buy a lot of soybeans and wheat and make sure we win,” Trump allegedly told Xi.
Trump’s Justice Department deemed Bolton’s recollection of that exchange so damning that it filed a federal lawsuit demanding that the book not be released unless Trump’s exact words were removed. (The publisher complied, but unredacted pages of Bolton’s original manuscript were leaked to Vanity Fair.)
Trump and Xi agreed in Osaka to restart trade negotiations, and in January of this year signed a ‘Phase One’ agreement committing China to increase purchases of American goods and services by $200 billion over the next two years. But now, with the election just days away, Trump’s nakedly political appeal to Xi seems almost irrelevant.
As we’ve noted previously in Eastworld, China is buying more farm products from the U.S. each month but at a pace far short of what’s necessary to reach the agreement’s year-end targets. China’s purchases of manufactured products, which account for about 70% of the deal, are even further behind.
America’s trade deficit in goods with China was $345 billion in 2019, only $2 billion less than in 2016 when Trump was elected.
Tariffs remain in place on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods traded between the world’s two largest economies remain in place. And as Grady noted earlier this week, the tariffs don’t work the way Trump says they do; they’re not paid by the Chinese government or Chinese exporters but by U.S. importers and, indirectly, American consumers. American taxpayers, not China, are paying for federal farm subsidies aimed at offsetting the effects of the trade war, and those subsidies have mostly benefited large, wealthy farms and corporations.
Support for Trump remains high among America’s rural voters. A poll by Farm Futures found 75% of farmers surveyed in July planned to vote for Trump, compared with 73% ahead of the 2016 election. But China and trade policy aren’t hot-button issues among general voters in this year’s race, nor do they seem unlikely to play a decisive role in determining the outcome of next week’s vote in the battleground states Trump needs to prevail.
More Eastworld news below.
This edition of Eastworld was curated and produced by Grady McGregor. Reach him at [email protected].


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United States agriculture is pressing hard for new markets amid a string of trade disappointments, including trade war worries over tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
The U.S. pork industry recently won an export certificate to ship pork to Paraguay: a small, but symbolically important market. The new market underlies a broader bid by American agriculture to find new openings for trade amid recent setbacks. Trade setbacks include: the United States’ withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and most recently, tariffs on imported metals.
AUDIO: Agribusiness Matters 3-13-18
Dave Warner, of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), argues – the United States must abide by the same, fair trade practices it insists on from other countries. Otherwise, “inevitably, it will leave the other country to retaliate. A lot of times, the products that are most sensitive and retaliated against, tend to be agriculture products.”
The Trump Administration’s new metals tariffs and the signing of a new TPP deal are big concerns for U.S. pork and other ag sectors.
“Given the current trade climate – we didn’t get into TPP and we aren’t negotiating any new, free trade agreements – it’s important that we at least get some pork into those markets,” Warner said.
Warner says U.S. pork is close to winning a trade certificate to re-enter the long-estranged Argentine market. However, Warner states TPP-11 or a bilateral trade agreement with Japan, would be much more valuable.
In the meantime, more trade battles lie ahead. The White House turns its attention to China’s alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property, put at some 600-billion a year, many times that of subsidized Chinese steel to the U.S.


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US challenges India's export subsidy programmes at WTO
As per US trade representative, export subsidy programmes harm American workers by creating an uneven playing field on which they must compete.
The US Trade Representative (USTR) challenged Indian export subsidy schemes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by claiming that these programmes will harm American workers through creating an "uneven" playing field.
The USTR consulted the WTO in this matter. These consultations are the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process. If they do not reach to a jointly agreed solution through discussion, the US may left with only option to request the WTO dispute settlement panel to review the matter.
What’s the matter?
As per the USTR, financial benefits given to Indian exporters through at least half a dozen Indian programmes allow them to trade their goods more cheaply to the detriment of American workers and manufacturers.
They pegged these subsidies benefits at $7 Billion.
The USTR said that India has provided exemption from certain duties, taxes, and fees which benefits numerous Indian exporters, including producers of steel products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, information technology products, textiles, and apparel through these programmes.
The programmes under which these benefits are provided are: the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme; Export Oriented Units Scheme and sector specific schemes, including Electronics Hardware Technology Parks Scheme, Special Economic Zones, Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme and Duty Free Imports for Exporters Programme.
The USTR also said that India’s exemption under the WTO’s special and differential provisions for developing countries in 2015, New Delhi has expired but still it continued to do so and even raised the size and scope.
WTO’s special and differential provisions
The WTO Agreements contain special provisions which give developing countries special rights and which give developed countries the possibility to treat developing countries more favourably than other WTO Members until they reach a defined economic benchmark.
However, there are limited exception given to specified developing countries that may continue to provide export subsidies temporarily until they reach to a defined economic benchmark.
As per USTR, India was initially within this group, but it surpassed the benchmark in 2015. And hence India's exemption has expired, but India has not withdrawn its export subsidies.
According to US, India introduced the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme in 2015, which has rapidly expanded to include more than 8,000 eligible products, nearly double the number of products covered at its inception.
Exports from Special Economic Zones increased over 6,000 per cent from 2000 to 2017, and in 2016, exports from Special Economic Zones accounted for over USD 82 billion in exports, or 30 per cent of India's export volume.
The USTR said export subsidies provide an unfair competitive advantage to recipients.


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NEW YORK (AP) — State officials in California and Washington are reviewing Amazon’s business practices to determine whether the company is violating any laws with respect to the independent merchants that sell goods on its site, according to published reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that California is examining the retail giant’s business practices, focusing partly on how Amazon treats independent sellers on its platform. Also on Friday, The New York Times reported that state investigators in Washington are reviewing Amazon’s handling of third-party sellers on its platform. The reports cited unnamed persons familiar with the matter.
The inquiries come amid heightened government scrutiny into big technology companies and their impact on competition and consumers. The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are pursuing antitrust probes into Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple.


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North American publisher Dark Horse has announced plans to publish a translated edition of Berserk: The Flame Dragon Knight. Released in Japan in June, the book by Makoto Fukami (anime screenwriter on Berserk, PSYCHO-PASS) and illustrated by Kentarou Miura, tells the story of Grunbeld's defense of a small, northern country.
Dark Horse also recently announced that The Berserk Official Guidebook goes on sale March 14, 2018, and is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop. The 200-page paperback is priced at $14.99.
Volume 39 of the manga released in Japan on June 23 and volumne 38 was released by Dark Horse on July 18th. North American scheduling for volume 39 is TBA.
Follow on Twitter at @aicnanime


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Posted on March 8, 2023 at 8:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Writer Colleen Hoover built her fame with a massive assist from TikTok.
But it turns out you don't have to be a new author — or even be a living one — to go viral.
Literary Hub analyzed, last week, how TikTok users have developed crushes on Franz Kafka (seriously).
And now, the New York Times has picked up the baton to note the popularity of Japanese novelist Osamu Dazai among TikTok users ... whose grandparents might not even have been born before Dazai's early death.
Categories: Today in Books


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Tandon, which has accused some of its Japanese competitors of patent infringement, is being sued itself on charges that it pirated disk drive technology.
The suit against the Chatsworth-based computer equipment company and its chairman, Sirjang L. (Jugi) Tandon, was filed last week in Los Angeles federal court by Sanders Associates and Billings Computer. The plaintiffs allege that the technology for Tandon's double-sided, floppy disk drive was invented by employees of California Computer Products.
California Computer Products, now part of Sanders Associates, sold its floppy disk drive operation to Billings in 1979.
Tandon said the suit is "without merit." The company said its patent for the disk drives at issue is 9 years old. When Sony raised the issue at an International Trade Commission hearing last year, Tandon said, the panel rejected the argument that Sanders and Billings should own the patent.
The same patent is central to a similar complaint Tandon lodged with the commission against Sony, Teac and Mitsubishi. Sony and Teac subsequently reached settlements with Tandon. The commission later ruled, however, that Mitsubishi did not infringe on Tandon's patent.


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(From Financial Mail)
Byline: Itumeleng Mahabane
SMALL BUSINESS/BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT Something of a revolution, coming from this minister Tax relief, easier processes and advice for small businesses In a budget titled "growth, development and equity", government gave further evidence that more than ever, it is pinning its hopes on the small business sector for job-creating growth. Various studies conducted by both the private sector and government show that small businesses, especially informal businesses, have been key in absorbing labour.
In addition to the labour regulation restructuring suggested by President Thabo Mbeki in his state of the nation address, finance minister Trevor Manuel was expected to announce tax benefits for small business - and he delivered. The tax relief package aimed at small business amounts to R2bn, the equivalent of the impact of the corporate tax reduction from 30% to 29%.
In a nutshell, the immediate benefits for small business are: The turnover limit for companies to become liable for tax rises from R5m to R6m; and The graduating tax rates for those companies have been adjusted. Up to R35000 of taxable income the rate is zero and from R35001 …


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IDG World Expo Japan has decided to cancel next year's Macworld Expo/Tokyo show. In an e-mail, parent company IDG blamed the cancellation on a lack of interest from exhibitors.
"IDG World Expo Japan made a decision to cancel the Macworld Expo/Tokyo 2003 because of not receiving applications from major exhibitors by the time of deadline," an IDG representative said in the e-mail. The decision was made Thursday, the representative said.
The move follows a recent spat between Apple Computer and IDG over the show organizer's decision in October to move the East Coast installment of Macworld Expo to Boston from New York. Apple has committed to exhibiting at January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, but has said it won't make the move to Boston and is rethinking whether it will take part in the final New York Macworld in July.
In the past, Apple has been the main attraction at the Japanese Macworld show, which typically takes place in February or March. This year, Apple used the show to introduce a higher-capacity iPod and a high-resolution 23-inch flat-panel monitor. In 2001, Steve Jobs went to Japan to introduce two psychedelic-colored iMacs--Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian.
News source: CNet News


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A new bipartisan bill has been referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee that would require the Federal Trade Commission to study the impact of photoshopping or otherwise altering images in ads to evaluate whether it should constitute an unfair or deceptive practice, then report back to Congress.
If so, the FTC could take steps to curb or eliminate the practice through its enforcement authority.
The Truth in Advertising Act of 2016, introduced last week and referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee, would "direct the Federal Trade Commission to submit to Congress a report on the consumer harm arising from the use, in advertisements and other media for the promotion of commercial products and services, of images that have been altered to materially change the appearance and physical characteristics of the faces and bodies of the individuals depicted."
The report would also have to assess the prevalence of the practice, and provide "clear" guidelines for advertisers on how altering images could constitute unfair or deceptive practices.
It would require the FTC to solicit input from stakeholders for the report.
The bill was introduced by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.), and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).
"We must promote healthy body images so that young people feel comfortable in their own skin," Ros-Lehtinen said when the bill was introduced. "Imagine what could be accomplished if young Americans were free to focus their attention on improving the world around them rather than focusing hopelessly inward to change themselves on the basis of false and unattainable physical standards. The FTC already has the legal authority and responsibility to help, but they haven’t adapted to the modern digital age. It’s time for the FTC to identify and curb the deceptive practices of some advertisers for the benefit of consumers and honest businesses alike.”
"We support these bipartisan efforts in Congress to address deceptive and potentially harmful advertising," said Parents Television Council president Tim Winter. "It’s well-known that images in ads aren’t always what they seem." Winter says the bill "doesn’t prohibit anything, nor does it interfere in any way with the creative process."
PTC has long argued that advertisements have been selling a doctored standard of beauty to children and teens that is a "false narrative that harms young people" and has tried to combat that through a campaign against objectifying teenage girls.
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Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.


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"Everything is getting higher," says shopper Ron Holt.
Given that food prices rose four percent last year and are forecasted to go up another four percent this year, some consumers are relieved a proposal to add on a plastic bag fee is having a tough time getting out of its first committee.
"If you have to pay 15 cents per bag and you get eight bags of groceries, it adds up," says Holt.
Under Assemblyman Lloyd Levine's bill, if retailers don't reduce the number of plastic bags they give out, they must charge 15 cents for each one.
The goal is to discourage use since they often end up as litter.
Californians use more than 19 billion plastic grocery bags a year. That's about 550 per person.
"I understand the concern over high grocery prices. The key is it's an avoidable fee. All you have to do see what I do, and what thousands of other Californians do -- bring a re-usable grocery bag to the store," says Assemblyman Lloyd Levine.
Some stores have eased away from plastic bags. Ikea is already charging 5 cents a bag. But most retailers, though, provide an on-site recycling bin, a requirement that went into effect less than a year ago.
"We haven't even seen the first results of that law. Those numbers will come out in mid-May. We'd like to see what they are before we start charging ahead and banning bags or charging fees on bags," says Bill Dombrowski of the CA Retailers Association.
Assemblyman Levine must convince enough members of the Natural Resources Committee to pass his bag fee. It is clear, if the fee were in effect, many consumers would change their ways.
"I'd probably recycle them more and like I said, I would keep on bringing my own bags to the store instead of paying the 15 to 20 cents" says shopper Jerry Lemon.
That very same committee will also consider another proposal that would tack on another 25 cents per plastic bag. In both proposals, that money would go towards litter prevention programs.